Tropea, Salvatore

2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

La Repubblica - Italy | 29/05/2009

It's all about the German elections

For the liberal daily La Repubblica the EU Commission's intervention in negotiations over Opel's future is conditioned by the fear "that the jobs of the Opel plants in other EU countries could be sacrificed at the alter of German electoral interests. ... Everything hinges on the advance payment that Berlin is ready to pay on the loan guarantee package of 1.5 billion euros. Berlin seems willing to pay 100 million, while Detroit is asking for 450 million. ... One thing is clear: if electoral considerations are causing the Germans to push for an emergency solution that will allow them to survive the electoral test in September, for Detroit and Washington June 1 is a far more pressing date. On that day the White House must decide on the plan of the former number one in Detroit in a bid to avert a declaration of bankruptcy which experts see as unavoidable."

Obstacles to Fiat's bid for Opel

Commenting on the possibility of Italian carmaker Fiat taking over Opel Deutschland, the left-liberal daily La Repubblica points to strong opposition to the move: "As the hunter [Fiat boss] Sergio Marchionne … wants to bring home the biggest quarry a manager has ever set his sights on in this sector. [First] the annexation of Chrysler and then the attack on Opel and another important piece of General Motors. … But Fiat's foray could encounter several obstacles. For example resistance from the supervisory board at Opel, whose president Klaus Franz fears a massive culling of jobs, and also from the social democratic trade unions as well as many experts. … The product range of the two carmakers [Fiat and Opel] is so similar that the only way to cut costs would be to close down production facilities."